From
Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin (www.beg.utexas.edu).
For more information, please contact the author.

AAPG
2003 Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, May 1114, 2003

Play
Analysis of Major Oil Reservoirs in the Permian Basin, West Texas

Shirley
P. Dutton, Eugene M. Kim, and Mark H. Holtz

Abstract:

The
Permian Basin of West Texas and southeast New Mexico, the largest petroleum-producing
basin in the United States, contains an estimated 23% of the proved oil
reserves in the United States. This region has the biggest potential for
additional oil production in the country, containing 29% of estimated
future oil reserve growth. Only 28% of the estimated 106 Bbbl of original
oil in place in the Texas part of the basin has been produced. Play-based
analysis of reservoir characteristics and preferred management practices
in Permian Basin oil fields should have a substantial impact on domestic
production.

A project
is under way to (1) develop an up-to-date, digital portfolio of oil plays
in the Permian Basin of West Texas and southeast New Mexico, (2) study
key reservoirs from some of the largest or most active plays to incorporate
information on improved practices in reservoir development in the portfolio,
and (3) widely disseminate the play portfolio to the public via CD, the
Internet, and other techniques. The play portfolio will group into plays
all reservoirs in the Permian Basin having cumulative production >1
MMbbl and summarize key reservoir characteristics and preferred management
practices of each play.

Approximately
1,000 reservoirs in the Texas part of the Permian Basin had produced 1
MMbbl of oil through 2000. These reservoirs have been grouped into 25
geologic plays. The plays with the highest cumulative production are the
Northern Shelf Permian Carbonate, the Grayburg (Upper Permian) Platform
Carbonate, and the Pennsylvanian Horseshoe Atoll plays.